A Fifteen-Year-Old Level Seven Mage, with the Potential to Reach the Saint Realm (Part Two)

With that, Lei Lin activated the defensive magic array around the courtyard to prevent the aftershocks of their battle from affecting the surroundings.

Sa'er tugged at the corner of his mouth. "Heh. You even activated the defensive magic array. Looks like you're pretty confident in how much stronger you've gotten!"

"You actually think your teacher can't contain the aftershocks of our battle?"

With that, wind-attribute battle qi burst from Sa'er's body. He moved, and several green afterimages shot toward Lei Lin from different directions.

Seeing this, Lei Lin stayed where he was, his lips moving silently. Then chains of lightning appeared and twisted together, forming shields that enclosed him.

"Thunder Prison Technique!"

The other afterimages' attacks shattered against the protection of the Thunder Prison Technique, and Sa'er himself was thrown back two steps by the rebound.

Feeling the force that had struck him, Sa'er looked at the shields of lightning surrounding Lei Lin and said with difficulty, "This is... Level Seven Magic?!"

"When did you break through to Level Seven? Where did you learn Level Seven Magic?!"

Lei Lin nodded. "That's right, teacher. This is Level Seven Magic—Thunder Prison Technique. It provides comprehensive defense and reflects attacks that make contact with it."

"As for where I learned it?"

"Teacher, it's only Level Seven Magic, not Level Eight or Nine. I just modified a lower-level spell, Thunder Shield Technique. It wasn't difficult!"

Sa'er froze at this. His feelings grew as jumbled as the five flavors in a bottle, complicated and hard to describe. He had always known his student was clever.

Otherwise, Lei Lin never would have achieved such success in alchemy, creating all kinds of useful and ingenious magical items.

But Sa'er had never imagined that Lei Lin could develop Level Seven Magic on his own!

Magic from Level One to Six could be learned at any major magic academy by paying tuition. But Level Seven Magic and above were advanced spells that could only be learned by joining a major faction or organization.

How could he fail to recognize the significance of a genius capable of creating Level Seven Magic? And being able to cast Level Seven Magic meant...

"Lei Lin, are you already... a Level Seven Mage?!"

Lei Lin nodded. "Yes, teacher. I'm already a Level Seven Mage!"

"Mm. But that's not important. This is still your test, teacher, so I shouldn't use magic. Let's continue."

With that, he dispelled the Thunder Prison Technique, drew the Black Gold Straight Blade, Judgment, specially forged for him and worn at his waist, and charged at Sa'er.

Having comprehended the Law of Lightning, Lei Lin, at Level Seven, could defeat Sa'er, a Level Eight Warrior. But of course, he wouldn't do that. Sa'er had taught him for many years, so he had to save his teacher some face.

"Star Burst Stream Slash!"

"Thunderclap Flash!"

"Thunder Blade World Destroyer!"

"By the majestic might of heaven, I call the lightning with my sword—Divine Sword Lightning Control Art!!!"

With Lei Lin carefully controlling his strength, the two launched into a "fiery" battle. After dozens of exchanges, Lei Lin finally "ran out of strength" and "lacked experience," narrowly losing.

After their fierce fight, Sa'er finally managed to settle the tumult in his heart.

He had never thought much of Lei Lin's magic training. His average elemental affinity was truly nothing special, and he showed nothing like the talent he had for training as a warrior.

Before the age of six, he had created Taiji Fist, an unconventional yet profound health-preserving martial art. Once he could begin training at six, his progress had been rapid.

Without relying on outside forces to force his growth, he had advanced one step at a time and become a Level Six Warrior in just six years. He had even created numerous powerful combat techniques that had impressed Sa'er.

But their fight now made Sa'er realize that he had still underestimated his student.

After all, a fifteen-year-old Level Seven Mage and Level Seven Warrior was no achievement that could be explained by a simple stint of training in the Magic Beast Mountain Range.

As an Eighth-level Warrior of the Wild Thunder Guard, Sa'er wasn't a novice either. He could tell that Lei Lin had held back. He probably hadn't fought at full strength; he still had trump cards.

"He only just broke through to Level Seven as a warrior, yet he can fight me, an Eighth-level Warrior, so evenly. Even though I deliberately held back my strength and speed, it still shouldn't be possible for someone who just broke through to Level Seven..."

"And there's magic, too. That kid didn't use magic in the fight just now. If he'd added magic, I might really have been in trouble if I didn't go all out."

"Is... is this really my student? Is this really a student I could have taught?!"

Sa'er's face still looked bewildered, but he suddenly straightened up. A grin spread across his face, and he declared with conviction, "That's right! This is my student—my student, Sa'er's!!!"

"My student, Sa'er's, has the potential to reach the Saint Realm! The potential to reach the Saint Realm, hahahahaha! The potential to reach the Saint Realm!!!"

As he thought it over, he began murmuring the words "potential to reach the Saint Realm," then suddenly shouted them aloud. If the defensive magic array around the courtyard hadn't still been active, sealing off the inside from the outside, the excited roar of an Eighth-level Warrior like Sa'er might not have echoed across the entire Royal Capital, but it would certainly have shaken the area and carried clearly down several nearby streets.

Lei Lin rubbed his ears. "Teacher, stop hollering. I'm about to turn off the defensive magic array. It wouldn't be nice to wake the kids nearby!"

At that, Sa'er gradually reined in his excitement. "Hahaha! So what if we wake them? Why should I care?"

"Your teacher's happy. I can shout a couple of times if I want! Even if Boss Kaisa showed up, I'd still shout if I felt like it!"

Lei Lin rubbed his forehead helplessly. "Fine, fine. Shout all you like!"

After a little while longer, Sa'er finally got his excitement under control. Then he asked with a conflicted expression, "Lei Lin, be straight with me. You're not planning to join the Wild Thunder Guard, are you?"

Lei Lin nodded. "That's right, teacher. I plan to stay at home for a while, then head back to the Magic Beast Mountain Range to train and improve myself."

Before the age of six, as the child of a declining minor noble family in the Fenlai Kingdom, joining the Wild Thunder Guard had seemed like a decent way forward. The only thing he had to worry about was getting out before the Day of Destruction and severing his ties to the Clyde royal family.

But after turning six, he realized that the Saint Realm was the least he could expect to reach. How could the Fenlai Kingdom still appeal to him? As for the Wild Thunder Guard, well, that was even more of a joke!

If Sa'er hadn't been such a conscientious teacher, and if the Wild Thunder Guard's name hadn't helped him grow safely during his early years, he wouldn't have given them a second thought.

Even if Clyde or Kaisa personally came to invite him to join the Wild Thunder Guard, he wouldn't have bothered responding.

He didn't want to get too deeply involved with Clyde now, in case Lin Lei sought revenge later and dragged him into it.

"But, teacher, I want Level Seven to Nine lightning-attribute magic!"